West Africa: What Ghana’s Presidential Election Means for the Nation and West Africa

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Former Ghana President John Mahama will return to energy after a decisive electoral victory.
• He faces a dire economic crisis and rising mistrust in the political machine, in particular among younger other folks.
• As a solid democracy in West Africa, Ghana’s future will have a serious impact on the plan.

With present President Nana Akufo-Addo unable to trot again below the structure’s two-length of point in time, Ghana’s 2024 presidential election marked the stay of an generation — and a serious shift in the nationwide political landscape.

In the first round of balloting on December 7, former President John Mahama gained a majority with 56.6 percent, thereby securing the presidency with out the need for a runoff. In doing so, he decisively defeated incumbent Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, ending the ruling New Patriotic Social gathering’s (NPP) eight-year grip on energy.

In the meantime, Mahama’s occasion, the Nationwide Democratic Congress (NDC), secured a landslide victory in Ghana’s concurrent parliamentary elections, giving Mahama a clear electoral mandate to pursue his dauntless agenda. How he handles the country’s pressing economic elements, the fallout from cases of post-election violence, and Ghanaians’ rising discontent with the political machine isn’t very any longer going to handiest form Ghana’s personal future but will impact its standing as a key regional leader and beacon of democracy in West Africa.

Financial Woes, Voter Apathy and Unmet Promises

This election modified into carefully formed by Ghana’s ongoing economic crisis, which has been described as the worst in a generation. Authorities debt — which began to rise in 2008 after the stay of a debt reduction program — skyrocketed to seventy 9.2 percent of GDP by 2021. This fueled rising prices, with inflation surging from 31.5 percent in 2022 to 40.3 percent in 2023, further deepening the economic hardship felt by standard Ghanaians.

The order for childhood is in particular dire, as handiest about ten percent of college students or graduates acquire jobs inside a year of finishing their stories. The excessive rate of childhood unemployment modified into made worse by the dearth of employment alternatives in key sectors care for manufacturing and agriculture, which have been stagnant due to the a lack of infrastructure investment. Many younger other folks are compelled to emigrate or turn to the informal sector, recurrently in unstable low-wage employment jobs. Moreover, the country’s debt crisis has also led to a decline in public sector investment, reducing the availability of authorities jobs that had been as soon as a real option for employment for graduates.

This economic stress transcends mere statistics and is felt in the day after day lives of hundreds of thousands. The chronic challenges of financial instability, coupled with uncertainty of the future, have eroded have faith in the country’s leadership.

This election served as a referendum on the station quo’s capability to perform any reduction or whether alternate is main to handle the escalating crisis. With out vital reforms, a trajectory towards economic restoration looks risky, leaving Ghana’s voters anxious about whether their incoming authorities will bring any vital reduction from the extreme economic prerequisites.

So naturally, the economy modified into high of mind for the over 18 million registered voters in Ghana, extra than half of whom had been younger other folks between ages 18 and 35. On the other hand, despite the election’s excessive stakes, voter turnout plummeted, with projections estimating that handiest round 60.9 percent of voters grew to change into out to the polls in step with Ghana’s electoral price chair. Here is a pointy decline from the seventy 9 percent in 2020 and 69 percent in 2016, reflecting a rising sense of voter apathy fueled by deep dissatisfaction with the political machine and its leaders.

With the exception of the declining turnout, there modified into another noticeable shift in the political landscape, with 10 goal candidates contesting for the Ghana presidency. This surge in goal candidacies highlights a rising need among voters for that that it is in all probability you’ll also consider decisions past the two usual political parties. Many of these goal candidates’ arrangement modified into to provide fresh perspectives and solutions, free from the constraints of occasion ideology. On the other hand, despite this apparent trot for food for alternate, the entrenched dominance of the two foremost parties has created vital barriers for goal candidates, making it demanding for them to garner ample reinforce or place traction with voters.

Lower voter turnout in the 2024 election is purely as indicative of the nationwide mood as the .

Moreover it is miles vital that many in Ghana have grew to change into to other avenues to demand better governance in the present day. In 2021, thousands of younger Ghanaians mobilized below the nonpolitical civic movement “#FixTheCountry,” protesting President Nana Akufo-Addo’s handling of the economy and governance. In the meantime, unlawful mining, identified as “galamsey,” continues to ravage the country, contaminating rivers with toxic chemical substances and threatening public health and Ghana’s agricultural future. No subject President Akufo-Addo 2017 pledge to conclude galamsey, authorities efforts have proven insufficient. In this context, lower voter turnout in the 2024 election is purely as indicative of the nationwide mood as the , reflecting rising discontent among Ghanaians over the lack of development.

Therefore, despite Mahama’s occasion’s overwhelming legislative victory and a clear mandate, voters appear to have excessive expectations and need urged, decisive motion to secure to the bottom of prolonged-standing elements. Ghana’s demanding-gained democratic steadiness would possibly perhaps presumably presumably be in jeopardy if Mahama’s administration is unable to meet voters calls for political reform, security and economic pattern. Ghana is at an main juncture the place voter apathy or persevered unrest would possibly perhaps presumably presumably undermine its democratic institutions and its reputation as a democratic leader in the plan for the first time in years.

The New Authorities’s Response to Emerging Risks

Provided that former President Mahama has held place of work before, his main arrangement in working this time round modified into to handle the challenges and shortcomings that marked his previous tenure, in particular with frequent energy outages.

With thought polls exhibiting that the economy and jobs had been the high considerations, his campaign mad by job introduction, economic restoration and debt reduction. One day of the campaign, former President Mahama promised “a brand fresh starting, a brand fresh direction” for Ghana. This name for alternate proved effectively liked by voters: Mahama’s victory — with 56.6 percent of the vote when put next to Vice President Bawumia’s 41.6 percent — represents the greatest margin in 24 years. On the other hand, the does proceed the historic pattern the place energy alternates between Mahama’s NDC and the NPP, and not utilizing a occasion ever conserving the presidency for extra than two consecutive phrases.

Now president-elect, Mahama will survey to perform correct on his pledge to introduce a “24-hour economy.” This signature campaign coverage aims to revitalize key sectors of the Ghanaian economy, together with infrastructure and skills, by encouraging them to operate round the clock, ideally utilizing a 3-shift machine. This continuous operation is meant to grab productivity, fortify competitiveness and generate excessive-paying, prolonged-length of time jobs.

Mahama’s imaginative and prescient for the 24-hour economy depends on creating sustainable employment for Ghanaians so that you simply can ameliorate the stress that rising inflation and unemployment have set apart on the nation. Provided that childhood unemployment is round 14.7 percent, and many Ghanaians face a excessive impress of residing, the public is extra and extra mad by policies that can perform jobs, elevate earnings ranges and stimulate declare.

Ghana’s First Lady Vice President

In another vital pattern, Ghana made historic past by electing academic Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang as the nation’s first girl vice president. Opoku-Agyemang’s election isn’t very any longer handiest a groundbreaking achievement for Ghana, but also an impressive symbol of development for Africa, as it paves the approach for better feminine representation in political leadership across the continent.

With her effectively-known profession in training and public service, Opoku-Agyemang is positioned to handbook initiatives mad by training reform, gender equality and childhood empowerment. Voters hope her skills in these areas can bring fresh, innovative approaches to nationwide policies.

Put up-Electoral Violence

While the campaign and election itself had been largely mild, signifying the country’s democratic maturity, the aftermath modified into marred by pockets of violence that raised vital considerations about the security of the electoral path of.

Delays in announcing the wonderful sparked unrest across the country, with violence erupting in a few areas. Several shooting incidents resulted in at the least four deaths and rather a number of accidents, in particular in the path of demanding moments surrounding the collation of results.

In the northern metropolis of Damongo, the electoral price’s place of work modified into reportedly destroyed by NDC supporters who had been pissed off by the delays. And as soon as results had been announced, supporters of the newly elected president allegedly attacked insist institutions, looted properties and clashed with security forces, leaving police and armed forces personnel injured.

On the other hand, the candidates themselves had been like a flash to condemn the violence. Vice President Bawumia expressed solid order and urged former President Mahama to name on his supporters to revive characterize and address the order effectively. In response, President-elect John Mahama called on the present authorities and security forces to grab swift motion to conclude the ongoing post-election violence and the unlawful takeover of insist institutions, stating: “Because state power is still in the hands of the current administration, I call on the president and security agencies to act decisively to curb the ongoing acts of lawlessness immediately.” He also urged younger other folks no longer to pronounce their frustration through prison activities, emphasizing the need for mild and staunch conduct for the post-election transition.

Up to now, Ghanaian police have arrested over 100 participants for acts of lawlessness. This outbreak of violence threatens to undermine the credibility of an otherwise mild election path of and disrupt the transition, highlighting the need for better steadiness and have faith in the electoral machine transferring forward.

What This Means for West Africa

Ghana has prolonged been a model for mild elections and democratic development, but regional observers are keenly searching at how Mahama and the present authorities reply to unrest in the path of both the transition of energy and past. Failure to make it in all probability for security and uphold the rule of legislation would possibly perhaps presumably presumably undermine the nation’s image and weaken its regional have an effect on across West Africa.

And given the instability that has wracked West Africa in the present day — from the spread of violent armed teams to the alarming option of coups in a total lot of neighboring nations — Ghana’s image as a bulwark of democracy isn’t very any longer only a subject of public relatives. Ghana’s capability to stay resilient and democratic can wait on as a roadmap for other nations taking a search for to stave off the worst of the plan’s challenges with out succumbing to the authoritarian and destabilizing trends of West Africa’s armed forces juntas.

A successful transition, adopted by urged motion to handle voters’ rising discontent, would possibly perhaps presumably presumably enable Ghana to even strengthen its regional standing by taking a agency stance in upholding peace and democratic values.

Rachel Joy Yeboah Boakye is a study analyst in the Africa Middle at USIP. Afiwa Missoh is a senior program assistant for USIP’s West Africa program.